Congress says the government has not shared details of how the caste census will be conducted, a year after announcing it.
The party alleges deliberate delay, urging dialogue with political parties and experts while flagging that Kharge’s letter to the PM remains unanswered.
Congress Accuses Modi Govt Of Delaying Caste Census
Jairam Ramesh cites a “U-turn” by Modi, recalling earlier opposition to caste enumeration and remarks labelling the demand as “urban naxal” thought.
Summary
The Indian National Congress on Thursday said that the Modi government is yet to provide details on how the census enumeration will be carried out and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi intends to delay the exercise.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh noted that exactly a year ago, the Modi government had announced that caste enumeration of the entire population would be included in the upcoming Census.
"The recent chronology relating to this dramatic U-turn by the Prime Minister is this: On July 21 2021, the Home Minister had answered a question in the Lok Sabha asked by a BJP MP Smt Raksha Nikhil Khadse (now a Minister herself) and said that the Government of India had decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population," Ramesh said on X.
He added that on September 21 2021, the government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that any directive to enumerate caste-wise population would amount to interference in a policy decision already taken. On April 16, 2023, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to the prime minister demanding an updated caste census as part of the regular Census, Ramesh said.
"On April 28 2024, in a television interview to News18 Network, the prime minister attacked the Congress saying that its demand for a caste census was indicative of 'urban naxal' thought," he said.
Ramesh said the prime minister owes the Congress leadership an apology for the remark and, more importantly, owes the people of India an explanation for announcing a caste census on April 30, 2025 after criticising the idea. He added that the announcement appeared influenced by "urban naxal" thought.
"A full year has passed. The details of how this caste enumeration will be done are still awaited. There has been no dialogue with Opposition parties and state governments, let alone with experts in this subject," Ramesh said.
"The President of the Indian National Congress had written to the PM again on May 5, 2025 on the issue of the caste census. That letter was not even acknowledged. The issues raised in that letter remain very valid even now," he said.
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Ramesh claimed that recent developments, including the special session of Parliament, indicated the government intends to delay the caste census.
He also shared Kharge’s May 5, 2025 letter on X, in which the Congress president said that conducting a caste census to secure the rights of backward, oppressed and marginalised communities should not be seen as divisive.
"The Indian National Congress believes that conducting the caste census in the comprehensive manner is absolutely necessary to ensure social and economic justice and equality of status and opportunity as pledged in the Preamble of our Constitution," Kharge had said.
"I would request you to have a dialogue with all political parties soon on the issue of the caste census," he had said.
Earlier this month, the Congress had alleged that the government wants to place the caste census in "cold storage".
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